According to an official BCCI media advisory, the BCCI Men’s Selection Committee has announced the Indian squads for the upcoming home white-ball series against the West Indies and also named the Rest of India team for the Irani Cup match against Jammu & Kashmir, the Ranji Trophy champions.
For the Irani Cup 2026-27, Rishabh Pant will captain Rest of India, with Sarfaraz Khan serving as his vice-captain. The five-day match is set to take place from October 1 to 5 in Srinagar, where Rest of India will play against Jammu and Kashmir, the Ranji Trophy champions. The match is especially important because it marks the first time Srinagar has hosted the Irani Cup, a historic moment for cricket in the region.
With several senior Indian players tied to either the ODI series against West Indies or the Asian Games cricket tournament, the selectors needed to pick a captain from outside those two teams. Pant, who will also serve as wicketkeeper for the team, meets that requirement and brings significant first-class experience to the position.
Sarfaraz Khan’s appointment as vice-captain brings additional stability to the leadership team. Sarfaraz has been one of the more reliable performers in domestic red-ball cricket in recent years, and his pairing with Pant provides the team with a stable combination for a gruelling five-day match.
The Irani Cup 2026-27 kicks off just four days after the first ODI against West Indies and three days after the Asian Games cricket tournament begins. Players chosen for either of those assignments will not be available when the Srinagar match begins on October 1. This has led selectors to favour domestic players who are not part of the national team for those simultaneous events.
The Irani Cup extends until October 5, so there’s no clash at the end of the match; however, its early days directly overlap with international fixtures. The outcome is a team that combines seasoned local talents with athletes striving for greater visibility at the top tier.
India Squad for Irani Cup:
Rishabh Pant ( c/wk), Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Sarfaraz Khan ( vc), Smaran Ravichandran, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Akash Deep*, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Aryan Juyal ( wk), Aryan Pandey, Anukul Roy, Ayush Doseja
